1000 military aircraft in colour - reduced_part1

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1000MILITARY AIRCRAFT

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MILITARY AIRCRAFT

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Copyright © 2001 Gerry Manning

First published in the UK in 2001by Airlife Publishing Ltd

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this bookis available from the British Library

ISBN 1 84037 1994

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. Allrecommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the Publisher, whoalso disclaims any liability incurred in connection with the use of this data orspecific details.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in anyform or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recordingor by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from thePublisher in writing.

Typeset by Echelon, WimbornePrinted in China

Airlife Publishing Ltd101 Longden Road, Shrewsbury, SY3 9EB, EnglandE-mail: [email protected]: www.airlifebooks.com

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the four contributors of pictures whohave been able to fill in some of the gaps in my owncollection. They are, in alphabetical order, Phil Duckett(P.J.D.), Tony Griffiths (A.G.), John Smith (J.D.S.) and SteveWilliams (S.G.W.). Photographs without a credit are my own.

INTRODUCTION

This is a military companion for my 1998 book, 1000 Airlinesin Colour. It shows the range of military aeroplanes and thecolour schemes worn. The aim is not just to look at the latestfast jets, they are in, but to show the range of aircraft typesthat have served in uniform over the last forty years.

Military aircraft have in recent years been lasting longerand longer in service. Who would have believed that whenthe B-52 first flew in 1952 it would not only still be in servicetoday but scheduled to continue until 2020. This example isnow only one of many.

The colour schemes on a lot of military aircraft types todaycan be described as grey with grey markings. These are a farcry from the dazzling colours on some of the older aircraftillustrated. An effort has been made to show examples of thespecial markings that squadrons apply for anniversaries tohelp bring some colour to the pages of the newest types.

The order of the pictures is: fighters and bombers thentrainers, transport including assorted liaison designs,maritime, helicopters and, to end, a section of aerobaticteams. These sortings are only approximate, as so manyaircraft are now multi-role some could fit in almost anycategory. Where types have different functions they aregrouped together for ease of comparison.

It must be accepted by the reader that there is a long timelapse between finishing the text and it being published. I havetried to keep it as up to date as possible but some things willhave changed during this time period. An index of aircrafttypes is included at the back of the book.

Gerry ManningLiverpool

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1000 MILITARY AIRCRAFT IN COLOUR

Right: The MiG-25 was designed to combat themenace, to the Russians, of the North AmericanXB70 Valkyrie, a high-flying Mach-3 bomber.The Americans cancelled the project but theMiG went ahead. The fighter, with a 3,000km/hr speed together with its bulk, it was 71 ft6 in (22.3 m) long with a wing span of 45 ft 2 in(14.1 mI. was not a dogfighter. It was also usedas a reconnaissance platform. Illustrated is01(Blue) a MiG-25U-LL. Note that the rear seatis open as this airframe is used to test ejectorseats at high speeds. It is seen at its base,Zhukovsky, in August 1995.

Above: Pictured is 91(Red) a MiG-25PU. This isa h\'o- eat training version, note how the extraplace has been grafted onto the nose section. It iseen taxiing out to take off at the Russian

re earch base at Zhukovsky, August 1995.

Below: The current backbone of the Swedish AirForce (Flygvapnet) is the multi-role SAAB 37Viggen (Thunderbolt). Seen visiting Finningleyin September 1986 is 37330 a jA37 of F13; thisvariant is configured as a fighter.

Above: The SAAB 39 Gripen (Griffin) is thelatest design from the Swedish manufacturer. Itis a true multi-role machine, being a fighter, anattack and a reconnaissance aircraft in one. Seenat Farnborough, is jAS39 39.4, September 1992.

Left: DK270 is a SAAB Sk35CS Draken two-seattrainer of HaLLv 11 (11 th Fighter Squadron) ofthe Finnish Air Force (Soumen Ilmaviomat). Itis seen at its base, Rovaniemi on the ArcticCircle, june 1998. The unit is part of LaplandAir Command.

Right: The Finnish Air Force is in the process ofreplacing its Draken fleet with F/A18 Hornets.Seen at Pirkkala, part of Satakunta AirCommand, is J35FS Draken DK263, a singleseat interceptor of HaLLv 21, june 1998. Theunit was in transition at this time.

Above: Sweden has for many years had a 'go italone' policy with the design and manufacture ofvery advanced warplanes. This complements thenational neutral status. In October 1955 they firstflew the Mach-2 interceptor, the SAAB 35Draken (Dragon). The first production aircraftwere delivered towards the end of that decade.Seen here at its Angelholm base, August 1995, is35586 62/Fl0, a J35J variant. FlO was the lastunit to operate the type in front-line service. (PJD)

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Below: Denmark was the only NATO country to operate the Swedishdouble delta. AR110, an S35XD Draken of Esk 729, is seen in its all-overgreen scheme at Upper Heyford, June 1984. These aircraft have beenreplaced by F16s.


Above: The North American F86 Sabre has hada long service life. Land-locked Bolivia musthave been the last front-line user with threeairframes being operated as late as 1992. Seenhere in November of that year is F86F FAB658of Grupo Aereo de Caza 32 at its base of ElTrompillo, Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

Left: The Sabre was built under licence inCanada, and the main difference from the NorthAmerican machines was the powerplant. AnAvro Orenda from the Sabre 3 was used insteadof the General Electric J47. Sabre 6 23459 in themarkings of 421 Squadron. 2 Wing, RoyalCanadian Air Force is seen at Prestwick in May1963. (AG)

Above: Scottish Aviation serviced many military aircraft. Seen here is23664, a Canadian Sabre 6 of 444 (Cobra) Squadron RCAF. 2 Wing, fromWest Germany at Prestwick. May 1963. (AG)

Below: The'sad fate of many military aircraft is to be a target. Canadairabre 5 23320/N74170 is seen at Mojave, CA. October 1979, during service

\\ith the US Army. It was re-designated as a QF86E and this airframe washot down over the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in August

the following year.

Above: The popular image of F86 Sabres in service with the United StatesAir Force is that of silver airframes with colourful squadron markings.However, during the last few years of service camouflage was applied tosome aircraft. Pictured is F86H 53-1506 of the 104th Fighter Squadron,Maryland Air ational Guard. It is seen at Pittsburgh in August 1970, themonth the type was replaced by the Cessna A37B. (SGW)

Above:.QF86H Sabre 53-1409 is a target drone operated by the US Navy atits China Lake test centre. It was seen at Edwards AFB in October 1979.

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Below: The French answer to the Eurofighter isthe Dassault Rafale. It is designed to be both aland-based fighter for the French Air Force anda naval version to operate from the French Navyaircraft carriers. The first prototype 01 is seen atthe Farnborough Air Show in September 1988.

Above: The shape of things to come is seen here with Eurofighter 2000 ZH588. The aircraft is a jointproject of Britain. Germany. Italy and Spain. all of whom will build parts of the aircraft and operatethe type within their own air forces. This BaeSystems operated prototype is seen at Farnborough inSeptember 1996. The Royal Air Force plans to operate a total of 232 with options on a further sixtyfive. The first deliveries to the Operational Evaluation Unit will be in 2002.

Above: The Supermarine Scimitar Fl was a Royal Navy-Fleet Air Arm single-seat strike/fighter,powered bv two Rolls-Royce Avon 202 turbojets of 11,250 lb static thrust. First flown in January 1957,the fir t operational squadron (803) formed in June the following year. XD228 613 of 736 Squadron iseen at Brawdy, July 1963. (AG)

Above: Scimitar Fl XD219 is seen at RNASBrawdy in August 1968. It is on charge to theNaval Aircraft Servicing Unit (NASU) at thatlocation.

Above: The Gloster Javelin was a two-seat delta wing all-weather fighterequipped with radar and four de Havilland Firestreak air-to-air missiles.In February 1956,46 Squadron equipped with Javelin FAWls which werethe first in service. Last of the line was the illustrated XH897. an FAW9.It is on charge to the A&AEE (Aeroplane and Armanlent ExperimentalEstablishment) at Bascombe Down. It was photgraphed in September1971 at Coltishall.

Below: Israel Aircraft Industries designed the Kfir which is based upon theMirage 5. It is powered by a single General Electric J79 engine, giving aMach 2 performance, and is used as an interceptor and ground attackaircraft. Kfir C2 779/4XCFL is seen at the Paris Air Show, June 1977.

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Above: The Dassault Mystere IV,A was first flown in September 1952. Itserved with the French as well as the air forces of India and Israel. No. 295is seen at Sculthorpe, in May 1976, in the markings of ET 2/8 'Nice'. Coded8-NA. it carries the black and white stork badge of the uflit on the fin top.

Above: The Dassault Super Mystere B2 was a supersonic single-seatinterceptor and fighter-bomber. Seen at Upper Heyford, in June 1971, isNo. 88 of EC 1/12 'Cambresis' coded 12-YD. It has a tiger's head on the finand is the regular Armee de l'Air participant at NATO Tiger Meets.

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bove: With a service life of nearly forty years in the Swedish Air Force,the last use of the SAAB 32 Lansen was as an electronic warfare trainingaircraft. 32512 j32E 03/F16M is seen visiting Fairford in july 1994 from itsbase at Malmsliitt.


Below: The de Havilland Sea Venom entered service with the Royal Navyin 1954. It was the service's first all-weather jet fighter. By the end of thatdecade they were being replaced by the same manufacturer's Sea Vixen.Following this they soldiered on in second-line duties. The Air DirectorTraining Unit at RNAS Yeovilton operates Sea Venom FAW22 XG729733/VL. It is seen at Chivenor in August 1969.

Below: Seen here in an all-white non-standard colour scheme is A&AEEde Havilland Sea Vixen FAWl Xj476 at its home base Boscombe Down,March 1971. The Sea Vixen was the Fleet Air Arm's first swept wing allweather, two-seat interceptor. The nose of this aircraft is preserved at theSouthampton Hall of Aviation.

Below: Many of the Sea Vixen FAW1s wereconverted to FAW2 standard. This later varianthad extra fuel capacity by the extension of thebooms forward together with the launch systemfor the air-to-air Red Top missile. Xj521, coded705/VL, is operated by 766 Squadron at RNASYeovilton. It is seen at Chivenor in August 1969.766 was the type's training unit. The design wasto be replaced within three years when the F4Phantom entered service.

Below: As the Soviet Union began to build a 'blue water' navy they had tostart from scratch to operate aircraft carriers and the aircraft that flew fromthem. The Yakovlev Yak·38 (NATO code-name Forger) was the firstpractical VTOL aircraft to fly off the carrier Kiev. The aircraft had a mainengine with two extra lift engines. Silen hovering at Zhukovsky, in August1995, is 24(Yellow) a Yak-38U two-seat trainer. The extra nose area makesthis perhaps one of the most ugly aeroplanes flying today.

Above: Flight Refuelling at Tarrent Rushtonconverted a small number of Sea Vixens topilotless drone targets with the designation 03.XS587 is at Valley, in August 1983, on charge tothe RAE. The drone program moved ahead veryslowly and finally closed down.

Right: NATO code-name Freestyle, the YakovlevYak·141 was to have been the next. generation ofVTOL fighter on the Soviet Navy's carriers. Theend of communism has found the RussianRepublic short of funds to develop defenceprojects. 141(White) is at Zhukovsky, August1995. The type is very unlikely to achieve anyquantity production.

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Below: The MiG (Mikoyan & Gurevich) 31 had its roots in the MiG-25. however with its phased arrayradar system and very long-range air-to-air missiles it is a far more efficient interceptor. MiG-31M057(Blue) is seen under power at Zhukovsky. August 1995. This aircraft was the seventh and final31M. the most advanced variant: it has electronic warfare pods on the wing tips. Code-nanledFoxhound by NATO. the decline in the Russian defence budgets is likely to see that this is the lastversion of the type.

Above: With a Mach 2+ performance the swingwing MiG-23 (NATO code-name Flogger) wasone of the most widely used interceptors in theSoviet Air Force and the states within theirsphere of influence. 56(Red) is a MiG-23UBtwo-seat trainer taxiing to take off atZhukovsky. in August 1995. The emblem onthe nose is not a squadron badge but a device toscare birds.

Above: Towing its drag chute is Russian. IiG-23CB 64(Red) of 296 APIB at its then. baseat Gro enhain. July 1992. This airfield was inthe old German Democratic Republic and likeall uch locations the Russians have moved outand back east. (PJD)

Below: Papa in Hungary is the location of thisMiG-23MF (Flogger B) of the Magyar Legiel'O Hungarian Air Force - 47th Tactical FighterWing. 08(Red) was photographed in September1997. (PJD)

Above: Seen landing at Fairford. July 1997. isthe Czech Air Force's MiG-23ML 2425 of 41SLT.The type has since been withdrawn fromservice as the Czechs look forward to westernequipment after joining NATO in 1999.

Above: Seen on the ramp at Constanta-MikhailKogalnicanu is Romanian Air Force MiG-23MF224 of the 57th Regiment. Note the difference incolours for the different roles from the sameunit's MiG-29. The aircraft was photographed inMay 1999. (PJD)

Above: For France the Dassaul t Mirage 111 series of aircraft was one of themost successful ever. Besides the home market they were sold to manycountries including Israel. The 'Six Day War' in 1967 was the combat sealof approval. The illustrated example is No. 346 a Mirage 111R 33-CO ofEscadre de Reconnaisance ER1/33 ·BeHort'. The unit badge is a battle-axe.as seen on the fin. It is seen at Chiiteaudun. June 1977.

Below: The Mirage 1115 is the Swiss variant and has features such asbetter brakes and a tail hook to cope with some of the shorter Swissairfields. J2325 in the original bare metal is seen at Dubendorf. August1987. It carries the badge of FISt 17 who are based at Payerne.

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1000 MIUTARY AIRCRAFT r\ COLDER

Below: The tirage l1lRS i the pho areconnaissance variant of the type. note thedifferent shape of the nose. R-210-l of \\i :\irForce unit Fliegerstaffel 10 is pictured at theunit's base in Dubendorf, August 1987.

Above: The new colour of so many militaryaeroplanes today is grey. In an air defence greyis Swiss Air Force Mirage 1115 J-2311 atDubendorf, August 1987.

Below: Seen visiting Edwards AFB in October1979, is Oregon ANG FI0IB Voodoo 58-0329 ofthe 123rd FIS. The unit flew this design for tenyears starting in 1971.

Below: Built by McDonnell (later McDonnellDouglas and now Boeing) the FlOl Voodoo wasbuilt to be a fighter with SAC (Strategic AirCommand) and went on to serve with mostUSAF commands. It was also operated by theCanadian and Chinese Nationalists. 58-0261FI01B of the 2nd FITS is seen landing at its baseat Tyndall, FL, October 1981.

Below: Texas, the lone star state, operated FlOIF Voodoos. The 'F' variantwas a reworked 'B' with an improved fire control and infra-red detectionsystems. These replaced the in-flight refuelling probe. 58-0276 is seenvisiting Eglin AFB, Florida, in October 1981, and is operated by ll1thFighter Squadron, Texas ANG.

Below: A reconfigured nose shows this aircraft to be a photoreconnaissance version of the Voodoo. RFI0IC 56-0112 is operated by the66th TRW, which was based at Upper Heyford during the period thispicture was taken. It was photographed at RAF Valley in August 1968, inthe camouflage colours worn at this time.

Below: Showing off what the colours used to be is FI0IA Voodoo 54-1455, seen at Alconbury, May1964. It displays the multi-coloured tail of the 81st TFW then based at Bentwaters. It is of note thatone of the weapons carried by the Voodoo was the MB-l Genie air-to-air missile with a nuclearwarhead; a near miss would still manage to destroy the target! (AG)

Above: Seen at its home base RNAS Brawdy, inJuly 1962, is Hawker Sea Hawk FGA6 XE340124/C of 801 Squadron. The 'C' code is for itscarrier base HMS Centaur. The Sea Hawkentered service with 806 Squadron in March1953: this particular aircraft has survived and isin a museum at Montrose in Scotland. (AG)

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Above: NATO gave the code-name 'Fitter' to the range of Sukhoi groundattack fighters starting with the Su-7. The final 'Fitter' variant is theSu-22M-4. The quickest recognition point is the ram air inlet at the baseof the tail fin. 4007 (Fitter K) code 32 of 32ZTL Czech Air Force is atFairford, July 1995.

Below: The quick and easy way to spot the difference between a MiG-23and a MiG-27 is the non-moveable splitter plates on the engine intakes;both types share the sanle NATO code-name Flogger. Seen in July 1992 atGrossenhain in what was formerly the old GDR. is MiG-27D (Flogger Jl05(Red) of 296APIB of the Russian Air Force, with its brake chute stillattached. (PJD)

Below: An action shot of Sukhoi Su-22M-4 4007 as it lands at Fairford, inJuly 1995, with another (3802) of the same type behind it.

Above: Avro Canada designed and built theCFI00, a two-seat all-weather fighter. Asubsonic straight-wing aeroplane, it was alsooperated by the Belgian Air Force. 18358CF100 Mk4B in the colours of 423 AW(F) (AllWeather Fighter) squadron is seen atPrestwick, May 1963. (AG)

Right: Republic's F105 Thunderchief was anall-weather strike fighter. The type bore thebrunt of the air war over North Vietnam formany years of that conflict. F105D 61-0093 isseen at Lakenheath in October 1976, at the endof a line of aircraft from the 121st TFS/113thFW District of Columbia ANG.

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Left: To combat the growing menace ofthe ground-to-air missile. a number ofThunderchiefs (54) were converted to 'WildWeasel' missile suppression standard. Thesewere two-seat aircraft and armed with antiradiation (radar) missiles. F105G 63-8320WW/35th TFW is seen at home base in GeorgeAFB, CA, October 1979. This aircraft shotdown a MiG-17 over North Vietnam on 19December 1967. It is also credited with twofurther MiG kills and has been preserved bythe USAF museum.

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1000 MILITARY AIRCRAFT IN COLOCR

Below: France's current front-line fighter is the~tirage 2000. A Chimera (Dragon) is on the finof this 2000B No. 510 2-FG of ECT 2/2, whichwas photographed at Conningsby, in June 1989.

Above: In order to train pilots to fly the big Fl05a two-seat variant was produced. Seen here isF105F, 62-4414 operated by 149th TFS/192ndTFG Virginia ANG, with both cockpits open. Itwas photographed during a visit to Lakenheathin October 1976.

Left: Based at Keflavik, Iceland the 57th FISoperated the Convair F102 Delta Dagger from1964 to 1973. The location assured that the'Black Knights', as the squadron was known,were at the sharp end of many intercepts ofRussian aircraft over the north Atlantic. F102A56-1418 is seen on a visit to Leuchars to upliftfuel, September 1972.

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Above: Not all ANG Daggers had bright colours. F102A 56-1361 wasoperated in a Vietnam period camouflage by the 146th FS PennsylvaniaANG at Pittsburgh, August 1970. (SGW)

Below: One of the features of the Delta Dagger was that it was a completeweapons system with an internal weapons bay. Its development was longand protracted. The type gave excellent service as an interceptor in thevarious Air National Guard units. F102A 56-1278 of the 176th FS is at itsANG base at Madison. Wisconsin, August 1974. (SGW)

Left: The fate of a number or American designsis to be converted to drones and shot downduring test work. So it was with the Fl02.PQM102B 56-1254 is seen at Eglin AFB FL,October 1981.

Right: The first of the 'Century Series Fighters'was the North American F100 Super Sabre. Itwas the first operational fighter that was capableof supersonic level flight. FlOOD 56-3011 of the20th TFW, with the type's 'buzz' number 'FW'on the fuselage. at Finningley, September 1964.(AG)

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Right: By the start of the 1970s most of theEuropean Super Sabres had been camouflaged.FlOOD 56-3213 of 492nd TFS with a two-lettertail code 'LR', or to give it its correct name'Distinctive Unit Aircraft IdentificationMarkings', was seen at Bentwaters in May 1970.

Above: The French were early users of the SuperSabre. Seen at Sculthorpe, May 1976, is FlOOD42249 of EC 2/11. The badge on the fin depicts ablack vulture with a white skull in its talons.

Below: Two-seat Super Sabres were designatedF100Fs. Showing off its bare metal colours isGT-018, a Royal Danish Air Force example atBentwaters, May 1970.

Below: By the end of their service life the Daneshad toned down the type's markings. TF100FGT-908 of Esk 730 based at Skrydstrup is seen atRAF Valley, August 1981.

Below: With the large cockpit canopy to coverboth seats open, this F100F Super Sabre56-3899 receives maintenance on the ramp atBarnes Field, Westfield, August 1974. Thisaircraft is operated by 131st FS/l04th FG of theMassachusetts ANG. Note that it does not carryANG markings. (SGWj

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Above: This FlOOD is worthy of note for severalreasons. First, its operator is the 3595th AirDemonstration Flight from Nellis AFB, NV, whoare of course better known as 'TheThunderbirds'. Second, note the very rareexample of non-presentation of the aircraft'sserial. It carries the number'SIX', its place inthe team. The proper identity is 55-3715 and itis pictured at Lakenheath, May 1967. (SGW)

Left: Following the fate of many designs theSuper Sabre was converted to be a target drone.The red paint on the fin and nose are quick andcrude high-visibility devices. On the nose is theconversion number QF098D. This aircraftQF100D 56-2912 is on charge to the 475th TFISat Tyndall AFB, FL where it was photographedin October 1981.

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Below: The Dassault Mirage 5 was built after a request from the Israeli AirForce for a less sophisticated daylight attack version of the Mirage 111.Before they could be delivered the French government put an embargo onthe export and they were absorbed into the French Air Force as the MirageVF. No. 17 is seen here at Chilteaudun undergoing maintenance in June 1977.

Below: The Convair Fl06 Delta Dart was the last of the 'Century SeriesFighters'. It was also the last pure interceptor for the USAF, Le. not beingdeveloped into a multi-role aircraft. 57-2495 of the 84th FIS is seen atGeorge AFB. CA. October 1979. The home base was Castle AFB.


Above: The Mirage 5 has proved to be an export success with at least adozen nations operating the aircraft. Illustrated is Mirage 5BD BD03 of 3Wing. Belgian Air Force. This is a two-seat conversion trainer and ispictured at Finningley. September 1984.

Above: Tyndall AFB in Florida operated DeltaDarts for nearly twenty-five years. Fl06A57-2495 of the 95th FITS is seen departing theramp in October 1981.

Below: Fresno. California is the home base ofthe 194th FIS. This ANG unit operated DeltaDarts from 1974 to 1984. The tail marking onFl06A 58-0782 is the bear symbol of the statewith the name below. It is at Edwards AFB.October 1979.

Above: The Fl06B was the two-seat typeconverter. 58-0904 of the 95th FITS. part of theAir Defence Weapons Centre. lands at homebase. Tyndall AFB, October 1981.

Above: Conversion to targets was the fate ofmost Delta Darts. QF106A 59-0043 is on chargeto the 475th WEG at Tyndall AFB. seen here inApril 1994. This airframe also carries extramarkings in celebration of the type.

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Right: The Grumman F14 Tomcat is one of theworld's most famous fighter aircraft. With a filmcareer in Top Gun and a proven combat recordwith the US Navy it can be recognised worldwide. 162589 F14A 451/NJ of VF124 shows offits low and slow flying skills at Abbotsford, BC,in August 1986. Note the sparks from thearrester hook as it scrapes the ground.

Left: US Navy squadron VFI0l 'The GrimReapers' brought F14A Tomcat 162689 lOllADto the EAA Airshow at Oshkosh, WI in August1986.

,Below: In the mid-1970s Tomcat markings werefar more colourful than today. Fl4A 1594262141AB of VF32 is on the deck of USS John F.Kennedy (CVN 67) at Portsmouth, October 1976.

Below: US Navy fighter squadron VF14 'The TopHatters' claims to be the oldest squadron with acontinuous history; it goes back to 1919. WithfuIl colour markings F14A Tomcat 1595931201AB is on the deck of USS John F. Kennedyat Portsmouth, October 1976.

Above; Based aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower(CVN 69), US Navy fighter squadron VF143 iknown as the 'Pukin Dogs', its badge is in fact awinged Griffin. The squadron brought Fl4ATomcat 159441 AG/II0 to the Air Tattoo atGreenham Common in June 1979.

Below: A sight no longer to be seen, a US Navy Tomcat in full colourmarkings. F14A 159449 212/AE of VF142 'Ghostriders' is at GreenhamCommon, July 1976.

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Below: McDonnell Douglas has developed the Northrop YF17 into thF/A18 Hornet. The F/A designation is used because the aircraft iconfigured for both fighter and attack operations. F/A18A Hornet 16288-1300/NF of VFA192 is seen departing Oshkosh, WI in August 1986. Laterthat year the unit moved to NAS Atsugi. Japan.

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Left: NAS Patuxent River, MD houses the Naval Air Test Centre. F/A18A161367 152/SD carries high-visibility tail markings to enable it to betracked during weapon release trials. It is seen at its base, May 1989.

Below: Switzerland is one of the newest operators of the Hornet. F/A18Cj-5014 ofFLst17, Swiss Air Force lands at Fairford, july 1999.

Below: Patuxent River also houses the US Navy Test Pilots School. As expected this unit has a hostof different aircraft in many non-standard colours. F/A18B 161249 is a two-seat Hornet. It is picturedat its base in May 1989.

Below: Canada was the first export sale forthe Hornet. Designated CF188, they form thebackbone of the Canadian Armed Forces fighterand attack force. CF188 188713 is seen arrivingat Hamilton, Ont, june 1990. It is operated by410 Squadron from Cold Lake Alberta.

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Above: Spain has purchased sixty Hornets. Seen here at Boscombe Down,in June 1992, is CE15.9 12-72 of Ala12. This is an EF18B two-seat trainer.

Below: Finland is in the process of assembling Hornets for delivery to its airforce. F/A18C HN407 of HaLLv 21 was photographed at its Pirkkala base inJune 1998. It is of note that the aircraft has its wings folded. This feature wasde igned as the US Navy needed this facility for carrier operations. Eventhough Finland does not operate such ships all aircraft have wing foldingcapabilities because it would have been more expensive to delete the feature.

Above: Canadian Armed Forces CF188 188764 of 439 Squadron is seen ina special camouflage colour scheme at Boscombe Down, June 1992. Thetiger stripes had been applied for that year's NATO Tiger Meet.

Above: Kuwait placed an order for forty Hornets in 1988. The first aircraftwas not delivered until january 1992 following the Gulf War that liberatedthe country from the Iraqi invasion of August 1990. Operated by 9Squadro,Il from its base at Ahamad Al Jaber is KAlF18C 425. It wasphotographed at Fairford in July 1993.

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Right: The best-known Hornet operator is theUS Navy Flight Demonstration Team 'The BlueAngels'. They are based at Pensacola NAS andhave been seen by millions of people worldwide. They are renowned for their very tightformation keeping. F/A18A 161976 No.6 is seenat Patuxent River, May 1989.

Below: This F/A18C Hornet of VFA81 , 163477AA/403, shows its markings in black instead ofthe normal grey on grey. It was photographed atMildenhall in May 1992.

Below: The McDonnell Douglas F15 Eagle is the US Air Force's premierfighter. It has been so for over twenty years and is likely to be so for someyears to come. The first variant was the F15A. 76-0065 of the 405th TFWLA/Luke AFB is seen at its base, October 1979. This airframe crashed on13 February 1981.

Above: Despite being an advanced aeroplane the Eagle is in service withthe part-time ANG. Most of the unit pilots are ex-military and currentcommercial pilots who have far more flight experience on more types thancurrent regulars. Two Georgia ANG FI5As, 75-0043 and 75-0024, of the128th TFS fly by at the London, Ont Airshow, June 1990.

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Above: The FI5C is an improved version of theEagle with provision for conformal fuel tanks.84-0027 of the 36th FW BT/Bitburg was seen aMildenhall in May 1992. This aircraft sportstwo Iraqi kills from the 1991 Gulf War.

Left: Tyndall AFB in Florida is home to anumber of Eagle squadrons. FI5C 78-0505 is oncharge to 2nd FS/325th FW and shows the baseTY code. It was photographed in April 1994.

Below: The FI5D is the two-seat variant of theF15C. 85-0130 of the 3rd Wing departs from itbase at Elmendorf, AK in May 2000 with itafterburners glowing. The yellow fin tip colourindicate it is part of the 54th FS.

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Left: The two-seat version of the F15A was the F15B. Fifty-seven wereordered. 74-0137 was photographed at LA/Luke AFB, its home with the405th TFW, in October 1979.

Below: Sukhoi's Su-25 (NATO code-name Frogfoot) is a close air supportground attack jet built to absorb punishment. It has been called the jetsuccessor to the I12/10 Shturmovik of World War II. 368 OshAP of theRussian Air Force operates Su·25BM 09(Red). It was photographed atDamgarten, in the old GDR, in July 1992. The unit has moved back toRussia and is at Budyennovsk. (PJD)

Above: Su-25K 9093 is on charge to 322TLT ofthe Czech Air Force. It was photographed at itsbase amest Nad Oslavou, in August 1998. (PJD)

bove: The F15E Strike Eagle is a dual-role strike aircraft that retains itsair-to-air capability. It can carry a load of over 20,000 lb of weapons. 910323/LN of the 48th FW, based at Lakenheath, is seen visiting Tampere,Finland, June 1998.

Above: The special markings on this Czech Air Force Su-25K of 30BLPshow a frog smashing a tank - a sense of humour from what was once aWarsaw Pact country. The NATO name for the type was Frogfoot and its rolewas to destroy tanks. It was photographed at Boscombe Down in June 1992.

Above: The AMX is a joint venture between Italy and Brazil for a light strikeand reconnaissance aircraft. It is powered by a single Rolls-Royce Speyturbofan. MM7131 RS-13/RSV is operated by the Italian Air Force test wingfrom its base at Pratica di Mare, near Rome. It is pictured at Fairford, July 1995.

Above: The Su-25UTG was a dedicated carriertraining aircraft for Russian Navy pilots. The 'G'in the designation stands for 'Gak' or Hook. Thecollapse of the military budget in the newRussia has seen the end of aircraft carriers.ll(Red) is seen at Zhukovsky, August 1995.

Right: AMX-T is the designation of the two-seattrainer. As well as the training airframe there areplans for an electronic warfare variant armedwith anti-radar missiles. MM55025 is at theFarnborough Air Show, September 1992.

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Right: The Republic F84F Thunderstreak was aswept-wing variant of the F84 Thunderjet. Theywere supplied in large numbers to NATO from1955. This Belgian Air Force example, FU-28,was photographed at Upper Heyford, june 1969.At the end of its service life it was used as adecoy airframe. (SGW)

Below: The Royal Dutch Air Force received 180examples of the F84F Thunderstreak starting injune 1955. This example is operated by 315Squadron, based at Eindhoven, which acted as ajoint Dutch/Belgian operational conversion unitfor the type. P-255 is seen at Chivenor, August1969. Following Dutch service it was passed tothe Greek Air Force.

Above: The Northrop F5 is one of the mostwidely used lightweight fighters flying today.Named the 'Freedom Fighter', it was conceivedas a 'simple' machine when other manufactureswere building large complex aeroplanes. Manycountries have been upgrading thesophistication levels of their F5s to extend theservice life. The Swiss use many of the type.J-3061 F5E is seen at Diibendorf, August 1987.

Left: The Swiss Air Force aerobatic team, 'LaPatrouille Suisse' has flown the F5 since 1994when the team gave up its Hawker Hunters. F5EJ3088 is seen landing at Fairford following adisplay, july 1995.

Above: The Turkish Air Force operates a mixed bag of F5s, having receivedthem second-hand from a number of countries. The national aerobatic teamis the 'Turkish Stars'. NF5A 71-3051 is seen about to take off for a displayat Fairford, july 1996.

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Above: Showing off its desert camouflage is F5E 1101 of 9 Squadron, RoyalJordanian Air Force. It is pictured on a visit to the UK at GreenhamCommon, June 1981.

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Below: The US Navy has used the F5 as an aggressor training aircraft togive front-line pilots combat flying against a dissimilar type of aircraft totheir own. FSE 162307 lOIS of VF43 'Challengers' is at Tyndall. FL.April 1994.


Left: In the early 1960s when Canada chose to licence build the F5 theother aircraft looked at ranged from the Fiat G91 to the General DynamicsFIllA. The CF5A or CFl16A to give it its service designation sufferedfrom defence cutbacks during the mid-1990s and has been withdrawn fromservice. CFSA 116703 of 419 Squadron shows off a special colour schemefor display purposes at Hamilton. Ont, June 1990, This squadron used thetype as a 'Iead in' fighter trainer.

Below: Spain has operated the F5 since the 1960s, CASA built them underthe designation SF5. Two-seater SFsB AE9,-018. 23-26 of Ala 23 wasphotographed at its base of Talavera la Real in March 1997. This unitprovides fast jet training for Hornet pilots. (PJD)

Below: Operating the same type of aggressor role for the USAF in Europewas the 527th TFTAS at RAF Alconbury, FSE 74-1559 was photographedat its base in October 1978. Each of the unit's aircraft had a different typeof colour scheme to reflect the operating environment.

Left: Showing off a colour scheme that wouldhave been common a decade earlier is FsB73-1602 of the 405th TTW at Williams AFB. AZ.photographed in October 1979. The HQ of theunit was at nearby Luke AFB but the F5soperated from Williams because of thecommonality with the based T38 Talons,

Above: Holland chose the F5 in 1966 to replaceits F84Fs, The aircraft were built in Canada byCanadair and are designated NFSA or B. K3026NF5A of 314 Squadron was photographed atGree.nham Common in July 1983, The aircraft isin special airshow markings with the nationalcolours displayed,

Left: The Royal Norwegian Air Force orderedF5s in 1964 to augment its expensive F104Starfighters; they are still in service, FSB 136 of338 Squadron is seen at Valley, August 1981.

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Right: 336 Squadron of the Royal NorwegianAir Force is the last unit with the type. F5A 208is in special colours for the NATO Tiger Meet atFairford, July 1995.

Below: Illustrated is MiG-21PFM 4803 of theRomanian Air Force. It is operated by the 86thRegiment de Vinatoare. It was photographed atFetec;:ti in May 1999. (PJD)

Below: The Russian MiG-21 has been one of the widest used supersonicfighters. The early Fishbed, to use the NATO code-name, was a basiclightweight fighter with a low level of sophistication but a highperformance. As the design was developed it grew into a heavier andincreasingly better-equipped aircraft. In August 1995, 62(Green) a two-seatvariant MiG-21UM (NATO code-name Mongol) was photographed at theRussian test centre at Zhukovsky.

Above: A major update of Romania's MiG-21s is taking place in conjunctionwith the Israeli company ELBIT Defence Systems. They are upgrading thefighters systems; such modified aircraft have the new name Lancer. MiG210M Lancer B 9511 of SMAS was photographed at Bacau in May 1999. (PJD)

Below: The MiG-21MF (Fishbed - J) is a second-generation aeroplane witha more powerful radar and powerplant. 7701 of 4 ZSL of the Czech AirForce shows off a very distinctive air superiority colour scheme. It wasphotographed at Hradec Knilove in August 1998. (SGW)

Above: The third generation variant from MiG was the MiG-21bis. One of themany countries to operate them was Finland. MG138 of HavLLa 31, thebased unit, was photographed at Rissala in June 1998. Nearly fifty nationshave operated versions of the MiG-21.

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Above: Polish Naval Aviation MiG-210M 9232of 1 DLMW was seen taking off from its base atGdynia Babie Daly in April 1998. (PJD)

Left: Showing off two different colour schemesis MiG-210M 3756 of the Czech Air Force TestCentre. It shows a cartoon-like image on theaircraft. It is pictured at Fairford, July 1996.

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Above: The Dassault Mirage Fl was the company's successor to the verypopular Mirage 111 family of jets. As well as France it has been sold to tenother air arms. Seen at Leuchars. in September 1974. was No. 24 30-FB ofE c 30 based at Reims.

Below: Czech Air Force MiG-2lMF 7711 is seen at Fairford. The basiccamouflage has been over-painted with high-visibility markings in thenational colours.

Below: The Spanish Air Force - Ejercito del Aire bought seventy-three MirageFls in five batches between March 1973 and March 1983. Ten more airframeswere purchased from the Qatari Air Force. Mirage FlEE C.14-54 is operatedby Ala14 and based at Los Llanos. It was seen visiting Fairford in July 1997.

Above: Ecuador purchased sixteen single-seatand two two-seat Mirage Fls. These aircraft sawaction when they fought skirmishes with thePeruvian Air Force over a long-running borderdispute. Mirage FIfA FAE808 is at LatacungaAFB. September 1997.

Above: Mirage Fls were ordered by Jordan toreplace its Lockheed FI04 Starfighters. MirageFIEf 107 is in desert colours at Fairford. and wasphotographed in July 1987. It is operated by No.1 Squadron based at Mowafaq al Salti air base.

Below: The two-seat trainer version of the FiatG91 was the G9IT. Seen at Cottesmore. in July1989. was MM54408 of 60 Brigata based atArmendola. This is the advanced training wingof the Italian Air Force.

Above: In 1954 NATO requested a lightweightfighter and ground attack aircraft. The selecteddesign was the Fiat G91. As well as Italy the airforces of West Germany and Portugal operatedthem. and it was even evaluated by the USArmy. Fiat G9lR 31 +88 of Lkg 41 is seen atChivenor. August 1969.

Above: To celebrate 75.000 hours of flying itsFiat G91 fleet the Portuguese Air Force appliedspecial markings to this aeroplane. Fiat G9IR5445 of Esq 301 is adorned with the badges ofall the units operating the type as well as all thepilots' names. It is at Fairford. July 1993.

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r1000 MILITARY AIRCRAFT IN COLOUR

Right: The tiger colours of this Portuguese AirForce Fiat G91R 5452 of Esq 301 must be amongthe most spectacular that have been applied toany aircraft for the ATO Tiger Meet. It wasphotographed at Fairford in july 1991.

Above: The Su-27 featured is seen on finalapproach to land Fairford. july 1997.

Above: Sukhoi"s 'Flanker' stable of long-rangefighters has astonished the west with itsperformances both with range and manoeuvrabilitv. The first in line is the Su·27. UkrainianAir' Force example 57 of 62/83 lAP wasphotographed at Fairford in july 1996.

Below: Designed for use on the planned aircraftcarriers, the SlI-33 (SlI-27K) has folding wingsand tail. It is basically a naval version of the airforce fighter. 109 (Flanker D) is seen atZhukovsky. August 1995.

Above: The SlI-30 is a two-seat long-rangeinterceptor with the facility for air-to-groundweapons. 52 (Blue) is a Russian example operatedby 148th TsBPIPels (Flight Personnel CombaTraining & Conversion Unit) based at Savostleyka.It is seen landing at Fairford. July 1997.

Above: The Su-35 (Su-27M) was developed as amulti-role interceptor and ground attackaircraft. The plan was for it to replace a munberof single role types. 703 is seen at Zhukovsky,August 1995.

Below: This plan view of a Su-27IB shows what a different aircraft it is tothe basic Su-27. It has two seats in a side-by-side configuration and is theprototype for a long-range attack aircraft. 42 is seen at Zhukovsky, August1995.

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Below: A planned replacement for the Sukhoi Su-24 'Fencer' is the Su-3';The aircraft is much larger than the basic Su-27, the main undercarriage La double-wheel unit. access is via a ladder under the nose and it even ha~

a toilet. 45 is a prototype for the design with the designation Su-34F . Ihas been configured for attacks on shipping and is seen at ZhukovskyAugust 1995.

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Below: The Lightning FIA was the second version to enter service and ithad in-flight refuelling capability. XM182 was photographed on a wet dayat Upper Heyford in June 1971. in the markings of 65 Squadron. This unitwas a 'shadow' squadron and part of 226 OCU. the training unit.


Left: The English Electric Lightning was the last all British single-seatinterceptor designed and built for the Royal Air Force. It first flew at a timewhen people actually believed that guided missiles could replace mannedaircraft. As a result it was never properly developed and to the end of itsdays it was hampered by lack of range. Lightning FIA XM184/A of 111Squadron was photographed at Alconbury in May 1964. These were thedays of glorious full colour unit markings. (AG)

Above: Each of the early Lightning bases had their own Target FacilitiesFlight. The task of these units was to provide whole aircraft targets for thebased squadrons. the usual fleet was three aircraft. Lightning FIA XM139is in the markings of Wattisham TFF and is seen landing at Bentwaters.May 1972.

Above: The third variant was the F2 Lightning.These were issued to 19 and 92 Squadrons whospent the larger part of their lives as interceptorsfor RAF Germany. Most of the F2s wereconverted to F2A standard and to many thisversion was the best to fly. In April 1976 XN727,a Lightning F2A of W/92 Squadron, was atValley for missile practice canlp.

Left: The F3 was the fourth variant of singleseater and could be quickly spotted by theclipped tail top. Lightning F3 XR716 of 226OCU is at Chivenor, August 1970.

Below: As well as the previously illustrated 65 Squadron, 226 OCU addedanother unit. This was simply called 2T and did not have a squadronnumber plate. Lightning F3 XP696 showed its markings off at Leuchars,September 1974.

Below: The Lightning Training Flight (LTF) was formed in October 1975;the OCU had disbanded in September of the previous year when the rundown of the type was in sight. The Lightning proved too difficult to get ridof so the new unit was formed to train more pilots. Lightning F3 XP749A/LTF is at the unit base of Binbrook, August 1978. CanlOufiage haddescended on the type by this time.

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1000 MILITARY AIRCRAFT IN COLOuR

Below: Lightning F3 XR719 of D/56 Squadronhas what must be the finest colour scheme toadorn any unit's aircraft. It was photographed atLakenheath in May 1965. Following thisscheme the Air Council ordered that markingsbe subdued. (AG)

Right: A wonderful line up of Lightning F3s wasseen at Wattisham in May 1968. At the end ofthe line is XP756 of K/29 Squadron, which wasbased at this location. (AG)

Above: Near the end of the Lightning's service life a number of aircraft hadtheir camouflage replaced with air defence grey. Lightning F3 XP749 ofBK/ll Squadron is seen at Yeovilton, August 1984.

Above: When the first pilots converted to the Lightning they did so withoutthe aid of a two-seat trainer. In the early days of operations onlyexperienced crews got to fly the type not pilots straight from training - thispolicy was later changed. The trainer for the FI/F2 was the T4 and featuredside-by-side seating. XM995 of T/92 Squadron was photographed landingat Valley, August 1976.

Left: This picture of T4 XM995 of T192 Squadronshows the different nose shape of the two-seater.It was photographed at Wildenrath in June 1978.

Below: To train F3/F6 pilots the two-seater usedwas the T5; this had the clipped fin top of thesetwo variants. XS419 ofT/23 Squadron is at theunit's base Leuchars, September 1975.

Below: The first unit to get the definitive Lightningwas 5 Squadron at Binbrook. This was the F6 andhad the larger ventral fuel tank. XR772, E/5Squadron is seen departing its base, May 1972.

Above: To extend the range for ferry flightsLightnings could carryover-wing tanks. XP769of Jill Squadron is seen departing Binbrook.May 1972.

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Above: NATO gave the reporting name Fulcrum to the MiG-29. This aircraftis a relatively small interceptor with a very high performance from its twoRD33 bypass turbofans. The output is 18,300 lb st (with afterbumer/reheat).It was first seen in the west during a 1988 visit to Farnborough. However itssecrets were laid bare when the East German air force was integrated intothe Luftwaffe following the country's reunification. 29+14 ofJG73 is seen atMildenhall, May 1996.

Below: 'The Firebirds', 56 Squadron were based at Akrotiri in Cyprus from1967 to 1975. During this time they exchanged their F3s for F6s. XS897Lightning F6, S/56 Squadron, is seen at Lakenheath following their returnto the UK (August 1975). Their new base was Wattisham.

Below: January 1993 saw the peaceful separation of the Czech and Slovakrepublics. The two nations split the stock of MiG-29s equally betweenthemselves. 6829 of lSLP Slovak Air Force is at Fairford, July 1996.

Above: MiG-29 3911 of llSLP was photographedbefore the split at Boscombe Down in June 1992in the colours of the Czechoslovakian Air Force.

Above: Seen on the ramp at Constanta/MikhailKogalniceanu, the base of the 57th RegimentRomanian Air Force is MiG-29 70(Red). It wasphotographed in May 1999. (PJD)

Below: MiG-29 103 is in the colours of the'Ukrainian Falcons' aerobatic team. It is seen atFairford, July 1997.

Above: Arriving back from a display, with itsbraking parachute still attached, is RussianMiG-29UB 86(Blue). It was photographed atZhukovsky in August 1995.

Below: Now a member of NATO, Hungary hasleft what was the 'Warsaw Pact' group as thatalliance has now collapsed. Seen landing atFairford in July 1998 was MiG-29UB 25(Red) ofthe 59th Tactical Fighter Regiment. Note theperiscope above the rear seat cockpit.

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Right: Seen on the ramp at its home base ofMinsk-Mazowiecki is Polish Air Force MiG-2911l(Red) of 1 PLM. It was photographed inApril 1998. (PID)

Below: The MiG-29K is the variant designed foruse on the Russian Navy aircraft carriers.312(Blue) is at Zhukovsky, August 1995,showing its folding wings.

Below: The SEPECAT Jaguar is a joint venture between the British andFrench aircraft industries to build a low-level attack aeroplane. Seen atBinbrook (August 1978) is Jaguar GRl XX758 of 18/226 OCU, the RoyalAir Force conversion unit for the type.

Above: No. II(AC) Army Co-operation Squadron, RAF, has a history datina

back to 1912. It usually portrays its squadron number in Roman numeralsrather than as No.2. Its role is that of tactical reconnaissance. Jaguar GRlXZ103 of II/2 Squadron is at Wildenrath, June 1978. The Tornado hasreplaced the type with this squadron.

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Below: Jaguar GRIA XX725 of GU/54 Squadron. RAF is at Scanlpton. July 1991. It is in desertcamouflage and shows the missions flown in the Gulf War earlier that year. Note that for selfprotection the Jaguar can carry air-to-air missiles above the wings.

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Above: Following an uprating to its Adourengines and various upgrades to the electronicsand navigation systems the Jaguar wasredesignated GRIA. XZ396 of EM/6 Squadron.RAF, was photographed at Fairford in July 1999.in the current grey colour scheme.

Below: Seen landing at Abingdon (September1990) is Jaguar GRIA XZ399 of 03/226 oce.The radar warning receiver on the fin has atartan band on it to indicate its then Scottishbase at Lossiemouth. On the intake is the unitbadge of the 'Torch and Quiver' .

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Above: Following the disbandment of 16 Squadron as a Tornado unit itsnumberplate was transferred to the Jaguar OCU. Jaguar GR1A XXl16 of16(R) Squadron was photographed at Fairford in July 1995. The blackcolour is for appearances at airshows. The 'saint' motif on the fin datesfrom the time it was formed at St Orner, France, in 1915.

Below: The two-seat trainer jaguar is the T2. Seen in 'raspberry ripple'colours is XX830 of the Empire Test Pilots School. It was seen departingFairford in july 1989.

Below: The second nation in the jaguar design is France. They designatedthe aircraft as either a Jaguar A (single-seat) or jaguar E (two-seat). TheFrench aircraft have not been as highly upgraded as the RAF ones and lacksuch features as a laser range finder in the nose. Seen at Fassberg, WestGermany, is A147 Jaguar A ll-EF of EC1/11.

Above: French Air Force Jaguar E E30 7-PK ofEC.02.007 was photographed at Tampere, inFinland June 1998. The aircraft had travelled fromits base at St Dizier to take part in an airshow.

Above: With the arrival of the Tornado F3 ADV Air Defence Variant - the training unit, 229 OCUgot a shadow squadron numberplate. This was 65Squadron; it once had the same role forLightnings. ZE339 of AO/229, OCU 65 Squadron,is seen at North Weald, May 1989. Note the newmarkings on the nose but the retention of theOCU colours of a 'Torch and Sword' on the fin.

Below: The fighter version of the Panavia Tornado was a British only requirement between' the threenations that built the aeroplane (Italy and Germany were the other two), however the Italian Air Forcehas since leased a number of RAF aircraft. The basic difference between the bomber and fighter versionsis that the latter has a longer fuselage and an air defence radar. Tornado F2 ZD932 of AM/229 OCU isat RAF Conningsby, June 1985. The F2 was an interim version before the main production batch of F3s.

Left: In july 1992 229 OCU was renumbered as56(R) Squadron. The unit was also tasked withproviding an example for airshows. Tornado F3ZE839 of AR/56(R) Squadron is at Mildenhall,May 1993. It shows off the sort of markings thesquadron had been famous for in the past. Thebadge is a Phoenix.

Below: Toned down markings are seen in thismore recent picture of a 56 Squadron TornadoF3. ZE292 AZ/ was photographed landing atFairford in July 1999, following a display.

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Right: The Lockheed F104 Starfighter was oncecalled the 'missile with a man in it'. Its pencilslim shaped fuselage and thin sharp wingswere years ahead of its rivals in style. Designedfor the USAF it only served them briefly butformed the cold war backbone of NATO andwas operated by fourteen air arms. Seen here intoned'down markings is F104S-ASA CMX-611RS-06 of the Italian Air Force RSV (RepartoSperimentale di Vola). This is a test wing: theF104S-ASA is one with new avionics as well asmodifications to other systems. It is seenlanding at Fairford. July 1998.

Left: 23 Squadron was one of the units that fellfoul of the 'peace dividend' at the end of thecold war. Tornado F3 ZE809 EZI is in specialmarkings to celebrate the seventy-fifthanniversary of the unit. It is pictured atFinningley, September 1990.

Below: One of the two Tornado F3 units based atLeeming, 25 Squadron had not operated aircraftfor some time having been a Bloodhoundmissile unit prior to conversion. ZE167 is seenat Duxford in special markings. July 1991.

Below: A small unit but a vital one. The F3 OEU(Operational Evaluation Unit) is tasked withupdating the 'handbook' on the type by use ofnew tactics and operational trials. ZE729 is seenat the unit's base. Conningsby, June 1989.

Above: Seen here in 'normal' Italian Air Forcecolours with full size codes is MM6728 53-14 of 21Gruppo. It was attending the Tiger Meet at UpperHeyford in June 1971. This is an F104S built inItaly by Aeritalia and is an upgrade of the F104G.

Below: Showing off a very special colour scheme is F104S-ASA MM6827of the Italian Air Force RSV. The markings are to celebrate the fiftiethanniversary of the unit. It was seen at Fairford. July 1999. (SGW)

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Below: The Netherlands was one of the ATO countries that bought theLockheed Starfighter in what was referred to as 'the sale of the century'.Fokker built most of these aircraft in Holland. F104G 0-8311 of 323Squadron is seen at Leuchars, September 1974. This was an all-weatherinterceptor unit based at Leeuwarden; the squadron flew the type from1964 to 1980.

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Below: Seen making a fast pass at Leuchars isRoyal Dutch Air Force F104G D6654 of 323Squadron. The type's distinctive shape wascaptured in this photograph taken in September1973.

Above: The Turkish Air Force has over the yearsacquired a vast number of second-handStarfighters from other NATO nations. In July1993, 5704 8-704 of 181 Fila was photographedat Fairford. This is a two-seat TF104G.

Below: The 58th TTW operated both single- andtwo-seat Starfighters. 13080 is a TF104G twoseat conversion trainer. It is at Luke AFB,October 1979.

Below: The F104 had a short life with the USAF;most were gone by the mid-1960s with the ANGhanging on for another ten years ..The F104Gillustrated is 67-14890 of the 58th TTW. Thistraining unit is operated by the Luftwaffe to trainits pilots in the Arizona sunshine, hence theAmerican markings. It was photographed at itsbase, Luke AFB, in October 1979.

Below: Norway purchased a number of Canadair-built Starfightersfollowing the Canadian defence cuts of the early 1970s. Seen at UpperHeyford in July 1976 is CF104104755 of331 Skv who were based at Bod0.The unit flew this type between 1963 and 1981.

Below: Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Starfighter CF104 104865 has aVicon reconnaissance pod fitted to the underside of the fuselage. Thiscould house up to four 70 mm Vinten cameras. It is seen on a very wet Juneday in 1971 at Upper Heyford in the early silver colour scheme.

Below: CAF CF104 104756 was painted up for its visit to the NATO Tiger Meet at Upper Heyford inJuly 1976. 439 Squadron, based at Barden-Sollingen in West Germany, operates it.

Above: Seen at Wildenrath in June 1978 isBelgian Air Force F104G FX76 of 10 Wingbased at Kleine BrageJ. This air arm's aircraftwere assembled by SABCA. Like most otherNATO countries the Starfighter was replacedby the F16.

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Right: West Germany was the largest user of theStarfighter, the Luftwaffe having 766 and theMarineflieger 151, a total of 917. The aircraft inGerman service were tarred with having a poorsafety record and called the 'widow maker'.Over 250 were lost. In percentage terms this wasa lower rate than some other NATO forces.27+34, a two-seat TFI04G of JBG 33, wasphotographed at Lakenheath in August 1975.

Above: Single-seat FI04G 21+98 of JBG 33 is atWildenrath, June 1978. It is taking part in aNATO Tactical Weapons Meet and has had theextra code letter 'E' applied to the fin. Luftwaffeaircraft do not usually carry such codes.

Below: This Danish Air Force FI04G R-647 isseen in the delivery anti-corrosion grey colourscheme. Most of the Danish aircraft wereCanadian-built. It is seen at Coltishall,September 1968. (SGW)

Above: This Messerschmitt-built FI04G ioperated by the German Navy and has the name'Marine' on the rear fuselage. It is VB+229 ofMFG 2 based at Eggebeck. Note the early use ofmixed alpha/numeric code. It was photographedat Brawdy in August 1968.

Above: Most of the careers of Denmark'sStarfighters were spent in this all-over darkgreen scheme. FI04G R-704 of Aalborg-basedEsk 726 is at Binbrook, September 1977.

Below: The Vought F8 Crusader was known in US Navy service as 'the lastof the gunfighters'. A single-seat and -engined (Pratt & Whitney J57) fighterit had a performance of over 1000 mph. The last users of the type were theFrench Navy who retired them late in 1999. F8E No. 40 of 12F is seen atYeovilton, July 1972.

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Below: The last regular US Navy use of the Crusader was as a phoreconnaissance aircraft. RF8G 144607 602/AB was operated by VFP6which was the last dedicated PR unit in the navy flying the last dedicaPR aeroplane. The unit operated the type for twenty-one years until 198_It was photographed onboard USS John F Kennedy in October 1976. the square camera ports under the stars and bars national markings.

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Left: F8K 145580 of the US Navy Test Pilots School was photographed atPatuxent River in June 1972. The 'K' model was a remanufactured F8Cwith various upgrades. (SGW)

Below: The Hawker Hunter has been one of the great success stories for theBritish aviation industry. First flown in July 1951 it is still in limitedservice with a number of air forces world-wide. Illustrated isHunter F6 XJ639 of 31/234 Squadron, the 'shadow' for the TWU - TacticalWeapons Unit. It was photographed at Binbrook in July 1975. The F6entered squadron service during 1956 and had a more powerful RollsRoyce Avon engine together with improved flying controls.

Above: Seen landing at Diibendorf (August1987) is Hunter F58 J-4053 of the Swiss AirForce. This air arm selected the type following amulti-type competition and went on to operatenearly 150. They were replaced by the F5 duringthe 1990s. The F58 was an export F6.

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Above: The Chilean Air Force operated Hunter Mk71 and Mk72s, singleand two-seaters respectively. Hunter FGA71 J-728 was seen at Chester inJune 1971, prior to delivery. This aircraft is an ex-RAF F6 (XE644).

Above: The Royal Jordanian Air Force operated Hunters until 1975 whenthe current stock was presented to the Sultan of Oman. Seen prior todelivery at Chester in June 1971, is Hunter Mk73 842. This was a reconditioned ex-RAF F6.

Above: The ultimate Hunter was the FGA9, a fighter ground-attack variantbuilt from F6s; none were new-built. XE601 is seen at Finningley inSeptember 1989 and is operated by the A&AEE at Boscombe Down. Thetype serves to this day.

Above: Hunter FGA9 XK137 42/ of 45 Squadronis seen at Greenham Common in July 1976. Thissquadron was reformed in 1972, along with No.58, at Wittering to provide the RAF with anincreased ground-attack capacity but moreimportantly to develop a pool of pilots versed inthis demanding role.

Right: WW598, a Hunter F6 of the' RoyalAircraft Establishment was photographed atLlanbedr in July 1969. This modified aircraftfeatures an extended nose. Note the WelshDragon on the base of the nose.

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Below: The two-seat Hunter T7 trainer did notenter service until 1958. This had required thefirst generation of Hunter pilots to convert totype without the aid of a dedicated trainer.XL591 of 82/4 FTS was photographed at itsbase, Valley, in August 1976 in the then currenttraining colour scheme.

Above: Hunter T7 XL573 is seen at Finningley, September 1989.12 Squadron, at the time a Buccaneerunit, operates this aircraft. The reason for the Hunter's presence was that there were no two-stickBuccaneers so each squadron had a Hunter converted to Buccaneer-style instruments in the left-handseat. This eased the conversion to type process. Another use was to give pilots flight experiencewhilst the squadron's own aircraft were grounded.

AbQve: The BAe Harrier serving today with the RAF can trace its roots from the Hawker Pl127 VTOLresearch aircraft. The success of the type was to have engine nozzles that rotated from down for take-offto back for level flight. When the Pl127 first flew in 1960 most other VTOL projects had two sets ofengines, one for lift and the other for wing borne flight. This was impractical due to carrying the weightof engines not used in normal flight. The Pl127 led to the Kestrel and then to the Harrier. Harrier GRlXV741 of A/3 Squadron is seen at Valley, August 1973. This unit was part of 2nd TAF based in Germany.

Above: Hunter T7 XL617 of 95/229 OCU is seenat its Chivenor base, August 1969. This unit wastasked with converting pilots to Hunters andthen teaching them to 'fight' the aircraft.Following the move to Brawdy the unit was renamed Tactical Weapons Unit.

Above: The Royal Navy used Hunters as weapons trainers. The GA11 was aNaval F4; it was not however used on aircraft carriers as it was not equippedwith an arrester hook. Hunter GAll WV256 862/VL of FRADU (FleetRequirements & Aircraft Direction Unit) is at its Yeovilton base, july 1994.

Below: The next squadron variant of the Harrier GRl was the GR3. XZ1293C of 233 OCU is seen in the hover at Fairford, july 1989. This version canbe recognised by the nose-mounted laser range finder and the radarwarning receiver on the leading edge of the fin.

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Above: XL603, photographed at Fairford in july 1985, is a Hunter T8M 720/of 899 Squadron. The T8 is the Fleet Air Arm variant of the T7 trainer. Thispecial version features an extended nose with radar to train Sea Harrierpilots. 899 Squadron is the Royal Navy training unit for the Sea Harrier.

Above: No.1 Squadron of the RAF can claim to be the oldest militaryflying unit in the world. It can trace its history to an 1878 balloon unit. Itwas fitting that it was the first unit in the world to operate a VTOL aircraft.XZ133, a Harrier GR3 10 of No. 1 Squadron, is at Lee-on-Solent, july 1987.The white paint over the basic green colour is due to the fact the unitdeploys to Norway for winter exercises and this has proved to be aneffective camouflage.

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Above: This two-seater is the second variant of the Harrier trainer and isdesignated T4. ZD990 Q of 20 Squadron is at Cottesmore, July 1993.


Below: No.1 Squadron currently operates the Harrier GR7. ZG471 61 of 1Squadron was photographed at Tampere, Finland in June 1998 attendingan airshow. The GR7 is a new generation aircraft; it was developed withMcDonnell Douglas and is a world away from the Pl127.

Below: The T10 Harrier is a combat-capable trainer based on the newgeneration airframe. ZH654 of the A&AEE is at Fairford, July 1995.

Below: Like a number of types the first Harrierpilots converted. in 1969, without the aid of atwo-seater. The T2 was soon forthcoming thefollowing year. XW926 M of 3 Squadron is atValley in August 1973. It shows the extendednose and tall tail of the trainer.

Below: In February 1963 Pl127 XP831 landed on HMS Ark Royal and thusstarted a move to see the type in service with the Fleet Air Arm. SeaHarrier FRSl XZ453 105 of 899 Squadron is at Greenham Common in June1981. The main difference between RAF and RN aircraft was the role. Thenavy designation Fighter/Reconnaisance/Strike tells it all. For the first partit is equipped with a Ferranti Blue Fox air defence radar. RAF Harriers arenot equipped with this.

Above: Sea Harrier FRSl XZ458 124/H of 800Squadron at Mildenhall in May 1981. This unitwas ~ased onboard HMS Hermes; hence the 'H'code. These colourful markings were removedwithin twelve months. The reason for this wasthe Falklands War with Argentina, a conflict inwhich the type excelled, not losing a singleairframe to enemy aircraft.

Right: Showing its post-Falklands markings isSea Harrier FRSl ZD610 711 of 899 Squadron,the type's training unit. It is at Hatfield, July1987.

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Right: The mid-life upgrade of the Sea Harrierresulted in the F/A2, the new style designationfor its role as a fighter/attack aircraft. It featuresa new radar and many other updates. ZA176716 of 899 Squadron is at Yeovilton, July 1994.F/A2s are either converted FRSls as in this caseor newly-built aircraft.

Above: Showing off a very distinctive colourscheme is Spanish TAV8S VAE1-Z of Esc 008.Seen at Fairford, this two-seater is based atCadiz.

Below: In Spanish service the Harrier II isdesignated EAV 8B. VA2-5 01/9055 of Esc 009was seen on a visit to the Royal Navy Harrierbase, Yeovilton, in July 1994.

Above: The responsibility of training US MarineCorps Harrier pilots lies with Cherry Pointbased VMAT 203 'Hawks'. TAV8B 16319606/KD is seen at Tyndall AFB, April 1994.

Above: The US Marine Corps began Harrieroperations in 1971 and has been a veryimportant user of the type. AV8A 158969 CG/04of VMA231 'Aces' is seen onboard USS fWD

lima, October 1980.

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Below: Spain began naval Harrier operations in1976 with the AV8A(S): the type has been named'Matador'. They were acquired via the USA asBritain had an arms embargo with the Spanishgovernment of General Franco at the time.VAl-3 of Esc 008 is seen at Fairford, July 1994.

Left: In 1989, following a long battle with thegovernment, the Italian Navy was grantedpermission to operate fixed-wing aircraft. They flyfrom the 'ski jump'-equipped 13,370-ton aircraftcarrier Giuseppe Garibaldi. TAV8B HarrierMM55032 1-01 is seen at Yeovilton, July 1994.

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Below: Based at Fresno the 194th FIS of the California ANG operated F4DPhantoms from 1983, when they replaced FI06s, until 1989 when theywere supplanted by F16s. 65-0763 was photographed arriving back at itsbase in August 1986 in a smart grey scheme.

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Above: It would not be an overstatement to callthe McDonnell F4 Phantom IT the most importantwestern military aircraft of the post-war period. Ithas served twelve nations, of whom ten stilloperate it. Seen on the ramp at Luke AFB, AZ, inOctober 1979 is F4C 64-0660 of the based 58thTTW. The green fin top marks it to be of the 310thTFTS, one of three squadrons within the w:ing.Note the three MiG kills on the splitter plate.

Left: The F4D was the first variant of thePhantom designed to USAF specification; theF4C was almost a basic US Navy F4B. It wasthe avionics suite that had the major changes.F4D 65-0735/LN was seen at Lakenheath inAugust 1975 and is operated by the based 48thTFW and on charge to the 494th TFS.

Above: The F4E was the most produced variant of the Phantom. The majorchanges included the fitting of a gun under the nose and wing slats forextra dogfighting capability. F4E 66-0382 of the 57th FIS is at GreenhamCommon, July 1983. This unit was based at Keflavik in Iceland and mademany intercepts of Russian patrol aircraft.

Below: Wild Weasel was the name given to the very dangerous role ofhunting surface-to-air missile sites and their radars. The designation F4Gwas used for this variant (it had been previously been used by the US Navyfor a minor version that was no longer in service). The F4Gs were rebuiltF4Es and carried the latest radar receivers and anti-radiation missiles todeal with them. F4G 69-0272/WW of the 35th TFW based at George AFB,CA is at London, Ont, June 1990.

Above: The 'HF' tail codes on this line of F4Es indicate that they belongto the 113th TFS of the Indiana ANG, based at Hulman Field, Terre Haute.68-0463 heads the line on the ramp at Reno Cannon, NV, September 1988.

Above: The photo reconnaissance Phantom, the RF4C, was based on theF4C airframe with the provision for weapons delivery removed. A newcamera nose was the main external difference. RF4C 64-1073 of the 10thTRW based at Alconbury is seen at Lakenheath, May 1967, in thegrey/white markings with full colour national insignia. Note it also carriesthe 'F)' buzz code of the type. (SGW)

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Below: Within a few years the RF4Cs hadadopted the standard camouflage colours ofbrown and green. 67-04691AR is at Wildenrath,June 1978. It is operated by 1st TRS/lOth TRW,based at Alconbury.

Above: Seen on the ramp at its base of Reno Cannon in September 1988 is RF4C 64-1005 of the19Znd TRS Nevada ANG. The name on the fin top is 'High Rollers'; this relates to the legal gamblingin the state.

Above: The US Navy had the F4J developed from the F4B. The variant was first flown in May 1966.F4J 153809 1071AC is in the markings of VF31 'Tomcatters'. It has the carrier name USS Saratoga butwas photographed onboard USS Nimitz in September 1975, during the new carrier's shakedown cruise.

Above: 65-0713 was the third built YF4E and wasconverted from an F4D. It is seen on charge of theAFFTC at Edwards AFB, CA, October 1979.

Above: In September 1975 F4J 153893 135/AJ of US Marine Corps fightersquadron VMFA 333 'Shamrocks' was photographed onboard USS I imitz(CVN 68). Shore-based at Beaufort SC, this unit scored the only USMC airto-air kill in the Vietnam War when one of its Phantoms destroyed a MiG-Zl.

Below: US Navy unit VFl71'Aces' was the Atlantic Fleet F4 FleetReplacement Squadron. F4J 155748 Z05/AD is at Harlingen, TX, October1979.

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Above: The ad fate of many front-line fighters was to be converted intotaroet drone. QRF4C 65-0944 of the 475th WEG (8Znd ATRS) is at its baseof Tyndall. FL. April 1994.

Above: The US. 'a\"y com'e ed F",B into QF4B drones whilst the type wasstill in front-line enice. 1-. 28 i operated by the Pacific Missile TestCentre, Point 1a!ill. C\ 'he \' pho ographed in October 1976 in thishigh-visibility dayglo-oran",e colour. G\!)

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1000 military aircraft in colour - reduced_part1

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